A fire helicopter tries to put out fire
as a Spanish plane catches fire at Madrid's Barajas airport, Aug. 20,
2008. The Spanair MD-80 jet plane with some 160 people onboard veered off
the runway and caught fire while taking off here Wednesday, killing 147
people, injuring over 20, according to the rescuer. (Xinhua
Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
MADRID, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- The death toll of the
plane crash on Wednesday in Madrid's international airport has reached 153 and
20 injuries, since many of the survivors died in hospitals, government officer
said.
At least six of the 26 survivors died hours after the
accident due to grave contusions and burns that they suffered, Development
Minister Magdalena Alvarez said.
Alvarez said there were 173 people including 9 crew
members on board the Spanair MD-82, which burst into flames during take-off on a
flight to Las Palmas in the Canary Islands.
The crash took place at the International Airport of
Barajas, Madrid at 2:45 p.m. local time (1245 GMT) when the MD-82 jet shot off
the runway at Terminal Four.
Airport authorities said engine fire may have caused
the accident.
Witnesses saw columns of smoke rising from the
aircraft whose left engine was said to be on fire.
The Spanair Flight JK5022 was bound for Las Palmas in
the Canary Islands, a popular resort off West Africa. The flight was shared with
the LH255 from the German airline Lufthansa.
Spokeswoman Henriette Eilekrogan of the Scandinavian
airline SAS, of which Spanair is its Spanish daughter unit, said an emergency
phone number has been set up for passengers' families and additional rescue
workers have been sent to Madrid to help with the crisis there.
High level officers and the mayor of Madrid Alberto
Ruiz-Gallardon went immediately to the airport to know about the situations.
Authorities declared a state of emergency in the
airport due to the accident, and it was temporarily closed only for taking offs.
The landings continued with normality.
This accident has become one of
the worse aerial disasters in the last 25 years in the International Airport of
Barajas.
MADRID, Aug. 20 (Xinhua)
-- Many children were among the dead left by the plane crash at a Spanish
airport Wednesday which killed at least 153 people and injured 20 others, said
authorities. Full story
MADRID, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- The
Spanish government announced Wednesday that it is to aid the families of all the
victims in the plane crash that killed 153 people and injured 20 in
Madrid. Full story
MADRID, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- A Spanish plane with some 160 people onboard veered off the runway and caught fire while taking off at Madrid's Barajas airport Wednesday, killing at least 45 and injuring scores of others, said Spanish authorities. Full story
